While oxymetholone is considered to be a harsh steroid with a high potential for side-effects, the subjects were reported to have no significant problems with liver function, water retention, virilization, and several side-effects thought to be associated with its use, at a dose that is three times what many bodybuilders would use, for considerably longer than they would generally use it.

J Family Practice 38 1: See also Anadrol Update July, below. With the publication of the HIV study Henge, that employed the oral anabolic steroid called oxymetholone see the May issue of Medibolics , the stage was set for oxymetholone's return to the U.

Trade-named Anadrol, oxymetholone is the world's most powerful oral anabolic steroid. Unimed Pharmaceuticals Buffalo Grove, Ill. While we welcome access to another anabolic steroid for HIV use, especially one that is so effective for lean body mass increases, it is best to express our reservations, and call your attention to some potential points of interest about Anadrol's possible use by HIV-positive people.

Anadrol is probably several times as "anabolic" as Oxandrin, and this will become obvious immediately when oxymetholone begins to be used in the AIDS community. With all due respect to the author of the study on Anadrol that showed no liver toxicity or side-effects, upon close review, I find this very hard to believe, especially since the dosage was very high at mg.

Anadrol can be "toxic" to a great percentage of any population, so its side-effects will become apparent very quickly when it is used by HIV-positive patients. I predict that hair loss, water retention, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate, mood swings, tiredness resulting from liver-burden, and a lot more will be seen in a majority of HIV-patients who use it, and some of these side-effects will be seen quickly, for some people on the very first day.

I also think that a few people will be able to tolerate Anadrol and experience a powerful anabolic effect. I am also curious about what effects Anadrol will have on liver metabolism when used by people who are using liver-burdening medications like the protease inhibitor - cocktails.

Anadrol can have a pronounced effect on complicating healthy liver function all by itself, much less in combination with these powerful drugs. Of course, one consideration is that with its anabolic "power", Anadrol may be a worthwhile option for people who are having a hard time gaining weight and who are not responding to other less powerful steroids like Oxandrin and even testosterone and nandrolone. In the Henge study, even those people who suffered from infections during the study continued to gain weight with Anadrol.

This is something I know is possible, as I have seen Anadrol's effectiveness while observing many years of illegal use by athletes and bodybuilders. Doctors and patients can get more information about Anadrol by calling Unimed at We have had males who have had some side effects, including primarily water retention and acne, but we have also had males who have had no problems, only glowing praise that Anadrol was the only steroid that helped them gain weight after severe weight loss, and it was the only steroid besides testosterone that improved their libido and energy.

We now have one report of a negative effect on the liver that appears to have been caused by an interaction with specific AIDS medications. To see the details, go to the article on Oxandrin. Doses Reported doses used have varied from 25 mg per day to mg per day, and as with almost all drugs, side effects are dose related, so a lower dose has less potential for side effects.

While the most commonly prescribed dosage is mg per day, Anadrol is a powerful anabolic steroid and a 25 mg daily dose will still elicit a significant effect on muscle growth while having much less potential to cause problems than higher doses, so if you choose to employ Anadrol, work with your doctor to find the lowest dose that gets the desired effect.

As with any oral steroid, dividing the daily dose and taking it several times per day will produce the best overall effect with less chance of side effects.

Comparison To Oxandrin In comparison, while we haven't had a lot of males report side effects with the standard 20 mg daily dose of Oxandrin, the other oral steroid that is commonly used in HIV, we have had a few reports of water retention, irritability and acne.

Data from a multi-site dose-ranging study of Oxandrin presented by Dr. It has been suggested that Oxandrin may interact with the 3A4 P enzyme system that metabolizes protease inhibitors while this does not appear to be the case with Anadrol. While some studies have shown good muscle growth with 20 mg per day, this low dose was shown in a study by Salvato to produce little if any muscle muscle growth 1 , and we wonder if at comparable milligram doses Anadrol may be a stronger anabolic agent.

Oxandrin produces more muscle growth when it is used in combination with testosterone, and Oxandrin used without testosterone can lower libido, while Anadrol is more androgenic and does not appear to require testosterone for anabolic effects and healthy libido. We suggest that for people who are more prone to side effects, it might be better to use Anadrol alone rather than with testosterone as both are strong androgens so there is more potential for androgenic side effects when they are combined.